Super Eagles’ England-based striker Taiwo Awoniyi has constructed a dressing room at the football pitch of Sheikh Abdulkadir College in Ilorin.
Mustapha Olokode, Chairman of the organising committee for the football tournament tagged “Never Stop Dreaming Cup 2023”, disclosed this to newsmen in Ilorin.
Olokode who spoke at the opening ceremony of the tournament, which the Nottingham Forest player is sponsoring, added that he has also reconstructed the pavilion in the school.
He said the gesture was the former Liverpool FC player’s way of giving back to the society which he developed from, the school being where he was discovered from.
“This gesture is one in many to come for the college,” Olokode also said.
He disclosed that Awoniyi presently is planning to lay an artifical grass on the school’s football pitch later, as the next phase of his support.
Speaking on the gesture, the State Coordinator for School Sports, Joshua Yisa, commended Awoniyi for his intervention, as well as the idea of the tournament.
“This is a welcome development. Awoniyi has put a smile on the faces of many youths by sponsoring this competition,” Yisa, who represented the Kwara Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development on Saturday at the competition’s opening ceremony said.
He also lauded the the Nottingham Forest striker for the construction of dressing rooms, toilets and office at the college where the competition is being held.
Meanwhile, Awoniyi’s Football Academy, Unicorn FA defeated Sunshine 2-0 in the opening game of the 26-team competition.
The 26-team tournament is expected to involve no fewer than 500 players across the state.
The eventual winners will receive a cash prize of one million Naira, while the runners-up will get N700,000, and the third-place winners N500,000.
Outstanding players at the end of the tournament are also expected to receive gifts as well as cash prizes.(NAN)
